Practical Research

11th edition
Paul D. Leedy & Jeanne Ellis Ormrod

Chapter 3

Review of the
Related Literature

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Benefits ofConducting
Benefits of Conducting a Literature
a Literature Review
Review
• Discover if someone has already
answered your research question
• Find new ideas, perspectives, and
approaches
• Learn about other researchers who
conduct work in the same area
• Identify controversial issues and gaps
in understanding that have not yet been
resolved

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Benefits of Conducting a Literature
Review
• Learn how others have handled
methodological and design issues in
studies similar to your own.
• Uncover sources of data that you may
not have known existed
• Discover established measurement
tools
• Interpret and make sense of your
findings and tie your results to the work
of those who have preceded you
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Benefits of Conducting a Literature
Review
• Bolster your confidence that your topic
is one worth studying

The more you know about investigations and

perspectives related to your topic, the more
effectively you can tackle your own research
problem

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 Keywords

• Identify one or more keywords

• A prime source of such keywords is
your statement of your research
problem
• Example google and google
scholaring for PRCL paper start and let
go
• Meta Data for google of any product

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Open source university libraries

• Brown University
library.brown.edu
• University of New Hampshire
library.unh.edu
• Universiry of Northern Colorado
library.unco.edu
Northeastern University
library.neu.edu
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• The Dewey decimal (DD) classification system. Books are
cataloged and shelved according to ten basic areas of knowledge
and subsequent subareas, each divided decimally. The Dewey
decimal system is rhe principal classification system in most public
libraries and many other libraries and is probably the most
generally accepted system throughout the world

• The Library of Congress (LC) classification system. Books

are assigned co particular areas of knowledge that are given
special alphabetical categories. This system is widely used in
college and university libraries

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Leedy & Ormrod
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 Conversion System

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 Locating
Related Literature
Identify one or more keywords and then:
• Use the library catalog and browse the
holdings
• Use indexes, abstracts, and other
general references
• Use online databases
▪ PsycINFO
▪ ERIC
▪ Google ScholarTM

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Leedy & Ormrod
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 Online Databases

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 Surf Internet Freely

• You may not have access to journal

papers but you can
▪ Record URLs and use later
▪ Record the document DOI in case the
exact location of the document is
changes

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 Locating
Related Literature
• Consult with reference librarians
• Surf the Internet using a search engine
• Examine citations and reference lists
from published work

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 Practical Applications
• 1. Write the problem in its entirety at the top of the page or
computer screen
• 2. Write each subproblem in its entirety as well
• 3. Identify the important words and phrases in each
subproblem
• 4. Translate these words and phrases into specific topics
you must learn more about. These topics become your
"agenda" as you read the literature
• 5. Go ro the library catalog, its online databases, and the
Internet to seek out resources
• related ro your agenda
• 6. Read!

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 Planning a Literature Search

• Write down the problem (on paper, the

computer, brainstorming software)
• Write each subproblem
• Identify important words and phrases
• Translate these words and phrases into
specific topics (your agenda)
• Seek out resources related to your agenda
• Read

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Inspiration Software for Literature
Review

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Use Your Library Time Efficiently

• Set up your own database or

spreadsheet in advance
▪ Consider bibliographic software
• Go to the library armed with data-
gathering tools
▪ Notebook, laptop

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Example Library Note Sheet

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Use Your Library Time Efficiently

• Identify the materials you want to

read, then determine if they are
available in your library
▪ Keep records of each search
▪ Take advantage of computer technology

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Use Your Library Time Efficiently

• Develop & implement a plan to find the

sources you’ve identified, including those
not immediately available
• Search in the library
▪ Hold or recall books that are checked out
▪ Use Interlibrary Loan
▪ Use an online document delivery service
▪ Order your own copies of books
• Read and take careful notes

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Evaluate, Organize, Synthesize

• Determine for yourself whether the

conclusions are justified based on the data
• Organize the ideas to address the problem

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Evaluating Research of Others

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Evaluating Research of Others

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 Knowing when to quit

• When might you know that you have

completed a reasonably thorough
literature review' In theory, the answer
might be "Never“ You may keep
finding more and more information....
• The decision when to stop depends
upon PROBLEM STATEMENT

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Evaluate, Organize, Synthesize

• Synthesize what you’ve learned

▪ Identify common themes
▪ Show how approaches to the topic have
changed over time
▪ Compare and contrast theoretical positions
▪ Describe general trends
▪ Identify and explain discrepant or
contradictory findings

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 Writing a Clear and Cohesive
Literature Review

• Get the proper psychological orientation

▪ Know what you want to do
• Develop an organizational plan or outline
• Emphasize relatedness
▪ how the literature is related to the problem
• Use logical transitions

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 Writing a Clear and Cohesive
Literature Review

• Use appropriate paraphrases and citations

▪ Changing a just few words is still plagiarizing
▪ Credit people whose ideas you are using
▪ Use direct quotations only when necessary
• Summarize what you’ve said
• Plan to revise
• Ask others for advice and feedback

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Practical Research: Planning and Design, 11/e
Education, Inc.
Leedy & Ormrod
All Rights Reserved